Butterflies
by phoenix9648
Summary: Lydia offers to go to Stiles' cousin's wedding with him when he mentions he's flying solo. Sparks fly between more than just the bride and groom. Stydia.


_Teen Wolf - Stydia_

_Summary: Lydia offers to go to Stiles' cousin's wedding with him when he mentions he's flying solo. Sparks fly between more than just the bride and groom._

_A/N: Random drabble I wrote like three months ago? I know it's been a while since I've posted anything so I thought I'd post this. Hope you guys like it :) It's super fluffy, to the point where you may or may not vomit marshmallows. Enjoy ;)_

* * *

Lydia was absent-mindedly gazing around Stiles' room, bored with solving polynomial equations, when she spotted something in the corner of the room she hadn't noticed before.

"Stiles? Is that a suit?"

He looked up from his worksheet and eyed the bagged garment hanging from a hook on his closet door.

"Yeah. My cousin is getting married this weekend. It's out of town by about an hour, and unfortunately, since my dad has to work the late shift the night before, he's only going to the reception. So I get to go to the ceremony by myself."

He looked back to his paper, almost distractedly.

"I used to always stick by Heather at these sorts of things… but, well, she's dead, so I guess I'm really on my own this time."

"Heather?" Lydia said in confusion, not familiar with the name.

He corrected his throat and stared determinedly at his sheet, only offering her a quick glance. "Yeah, she uh, was my mom's best friend's daughter. We grew up together, and our families are really close. I used to take baths with her when I was, like, three and stuff. But she was the first virgin sacrifice. She died on her birthday… when I left her for two seconds… and if I had been there sooner…"

His sudden silence alerted Lydia that he was stopping before his voice cracked, and she felt a sting to her heart. She had had no idea he had lost someone in the sacrifices. He had never mentioned it. But now she knew it was because it was too painful. His determination to find the cause made a lot more sense to her now, although he had always been pretty ambitious when it came to saving lives.

"You couldn't have saved her, Stiles. I'm sorry you lost her."

He shrugged, but she could see the moisture in his eyes.

"I nearly did… if stupid Jennifer had been another… god knows, half an hour, Heather would still be alive."

Lydia was confused until it finally clicked.

"You and her… you were going to…"

"Yeah, well it didn't happen, so it doesn't matter." he said quickly, writing on his worksheet a little too forcefully.

Lydia didn't know what to say. She knew these days he felt more guilty about the deaths that occurred while he was under the nogitsune's control, the fact that it was his smiling face they saw before he died, but it still hurt her to know that he had been carrying around the guilt of his other long-time friend too.

"So this wedding… are you allowed to bring a guest?" she asked casually, changing the subject.

"Probably, I mean I never really thought to ask but…" Stiles paused in surprise, understanding what she was getting at and looked over at her curiously. "You would go with me?"

Lydia shrugged. "Why not? I love weddings and I've got countless appropriate outfits to choose from. Plus I don't have any plans this weekend."

"Yeah… yeah, let me just check." Stiles said, a smile gracing his face, and he left the room with an extra spring in his step.

Lydia couldn't help but smile herself as she got back to her homework, knowing she had done the right thing.

* * *

It wasn't until the actual weekend hit that Lydia was suddenly assaulted with butterfly inhabitants in her stomach.

She had no clue why she felt so nervous, as if she was about to go on a date with Stiles.

It wasn't a date. She had specifically asked if he was allowed to bring a guest,not a date. That was a large distinction. And after Stiles had called his aunt, or asked his dad, or whatever method of permission he sought the night they were doing homework, he had come back in saying he was most definitely allowed to bring somebody. Not a date. Somebody. As in, a friend. Or whatever.

But Lydia knew the feeling inside her was nerves, and she tried her best to stomp it out as she walked to his jeep after he texted her that he had arrived at her house.

She had picked a rather simple cocktail dress—strapless, sweetheart neckline, fitted waist and then a slight flare for the skirt. The dark purple brought out the best of her skin tone and eyes, and she donned reasonable heels for the evening.

She realized after she got in the car that Stiles seemed a little nervous too. He was fidgeting, which wasn't really different from normal even with the Adderall he took regularly, but he must have gulped eight times after she got in the car.

Also, the shaky way he said 'hi' was sort of a dead giveaway.

Thankfully, once they pulled away from the curb, he seemed to relax and they fell into easy conversation immediately.

Time passed quickly, arguments over the radio making things move all the faster as they took turns or settled on compromise, and before long they were pulling into the parking lot of the wedding.

"I'm so glad the weather is decent. I really didn't plan for rain." Stiles commented, grabbing his suit jacket from the back and getting out of the car.

When Lydia slid out of her side and rounded the vehicle, she nearly stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

She had barely paid attention to what Stiles was wearing on the drive up, focused more on calming her randomly nervous belly and the road ahead than her companion's outfit choice. But as he buttoned up the suit jacket and smoothed out the creases, gazing down at himself objectively, she couldn't help but feel a little weak in the knees.

When in the hell did Stiles get so hot?

There had to be some kind of scientific theorem that evaluated how much more attractive guys who dressed in casual clothing were when they wore suits regularly and vice versa.

Stiles had definitely been hitting puberty rather well these days, filling out more and getting in better shape thanks to their supernatural adventures, but Lydia was suddenly very aware how much more attractive he had become since when they first became friends. It had been such a gradual change and she had been so oblivious of him for so long she wasn't surprised it had taken her so long, but she sort of wished she had been paying attention.

She remembered humming approvingly when his hair grew out of its buzz cut. She had run into Stiles a few times that summer, and she had been glad to see he hadn't shaved it again. She liked it longer on him… it suited him. And it somehow made his handsome bone structure more obvious. She even found herself admiring his splatter of moles. They were rather charming on him.

Stiles seemed to catch her ogling, since he suddenly looked self-conscious. "Oh god, it looks awful, doesn't it? I never wear suits, and I always feel ridiculous… I got it dry-cleaned because both me and my dad are absolutely hopeless at ironing and—"

He went silent when Lydia stepped close to brush his shoulders off and smooth down the wrinkles he missed.

"On the contrary, Stilinski, you clean up rather nice." she teased him gently with a smile.

He relaxed, his mouth curving into a smile. "So do you. I got tongue-tied earlier, but you look beautiful. Even the bride is going to be jealous."

Lydia felt her cheeks warm as she thanked him and busied herself with her clutch, slipping out lipstick and crouching slightly to smooth it on her lips in the reflection of the jeep's side mirror.

"Well, let's get going, shall we?" she suggested, holding out her arm to link with his like he had done at winter formal for her.

Stiles smiled, his honey eyes warming as he gazed at her, and Lydia felt her second round of vertigo of the day. Thankfully, he took her arm and they headed towards the ceremony site.

The foldable chairs were all laid out in rows, floral arrangements at the end of each one to line the laid out carpet, a makeshift aisle in the outdoor wedding. There was a beautifully designed arch awaiting the happy couple at the end with the minister, and a string quartet was patient for their cue to begin the wedding march.

Lydia and Stiles filed into one of the back rows that was empty and took their seats.

"And I recognize… almost nobody here." Stiles commented quietly as he scanned the crowd. He began pointing out a few people to Lydia though—cousins, aunts, uncles, distant relatives, old family friends, his cousin's neighbour.

Lydia found herself enjoying listening to his voice and learning more about the people in his life, the people she had no idea existed. There was something oddly intimate about learning about someone's relatives; however insignificant they may be to his everyday life, Lydia still found herself feeling a little special that he was sharing such details with her.

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I should warn you that a couple of my cousins are a little… persistent when it comes to attractive girls. They're going to be all over you like moth to a flame."

Lydia slipped her hand in his, interlacing their fingers, and smiled at him. "Thanks for the warning."

Stiles didn't seem weirded out by her sudden need to hold his hand; he simply stroked his thumb over her knuckles gently, returning her smile.

Thinking about it, she realized that holding hands had become pretty normal for them. It probably was the reason she felt so natural reaching for his hand just then. It was like an instinct.

The music started up, and they all turned to watch the matrimonial union begin.

Stiles didn't release Lydia's hand.

* * *

It wasn't until the toasts were finished, the cake cut, and the reception began that Stiles finally let go of her.

"I should go say hi." he said sheepishly, as if embarrassed by his familial commitment. "Do you want to find a table? Or you can come with me?"

Lydia contemplated it. "I'll grab us some food and try to snag a table. Go. This is your family. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. You said yourself I can take care of myself." she reminded him teasingly.

"I'll be back soon, I promise." he told her before slipping into the crowd.

Lydia headed to the buffet, loading up a plate with some of Stiles' favourites, part of her wondering when on earth she actually had obtained such knowledge. They had become really close over the last year, but she still found it strange when she was reminded how much she really did know about him.

As she neared the side dishes, she suddenly heard his name, and turned to see that she was rather close to the bride and him.

"Stiles! Oh my god, you've grown up so much, look at you!" the beauty donned in white exclaimed in disbelief, causing Stiles to laugh.

"Brittany, you just got married, and you already sound like you've aged ten years." he teased her, hugging her in a way you hugged someone you hadn't seen for a long time but used to be really close to.

"I'm sorry! I've spent so much time walking down memory lane with all of these toasts that I guess I'm stuck in the old babysitting days where I had to keep an eye on your misbehaving self."

Lydia figured his cousin was around mid-twenties, so her babysitting Stiles and the other younger cousins made sense. She had to smile at the image of a younger Stiles being bossed around by the older girl. She must have had her hands full.

"You look beautiful. Congratulations. He seems like a great guy."

Brittany smiled. "Thank you. God, I can't believe how much you've matured. I don't think I could've paid you to say something that nice and sincere a few years ago. Your sarcasm is still alive and well I take it?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "I'm going to keep this inquisition in mind the next time I try to be nice to you, Britt."

She ruffled his hair. "I've missed you, Stilinski. I'm really glad you came. Your dad is coming later?"

"Yeah, he should be here soon actually. For now, I have my own company. Thanks again, for letting me bring someone."

Lydia figured he must have gestured in her direction, since, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brittany suddenly lean closer.

"Okay, I can accept you getting taller, but now you've scored a girlfriend that looks like that? Stiles! She's gorgeous!"

Stiles laughed. "I'm well aware, thank you. But Lydia and I are just friends. She was nice enough to offer to go to this thing with me."

Brittany shook her head in disbelief. "Lydia… Lydia… this can't be that girl you spent like TWO hours making a valentine for in elementary, is it? Because I had literally never seen you sit still for that long before, and you redid that thing at least eight different times."

Stiles looked embarrassed. "Uh… yeah… yeah it's the same Lydia. She only started becoming aware of my existence last year though. Some… forces of nature thrust us together and we became friends."

"But the magic of that third grade crush hasn't worn off, has it?"

"It's… grown into something else."

"Like real, non-childish love?"

Lydia didn't get to hear Stiles' answer to that since someone else interrupted the cousins catching up to gush to the bride over her dress and groom. Stiles excused himself only to run into more relatives that wanted to ask what he was up to these days.

Lydia found an empty table, many people out on the dance floor or getting food, and she settled down to eat. She hoped Stiles would come back soon. She felt an odd pull to be near him right now. Seeing him with his cousin, hearing bits of their conversation, tugged at her heartstrings even before she became the topic of conversation. Stiles was a really special person and so many people who got to really know him could see it. How on earth had it taken her so long to join their observations? It hit her how lucky she was that she had Stiles in her life at all, but especially like this, close enough friends that he felt comfortable taking her to an intimate family wedding. The guest list wasn't exactly huge and he hadn't hesitated to get her in. That meant something to her.

"So… you're Stiles' girl?" a guy around her age asked cheekily, sitting backwards on one of the chairs at the table she was at, eying her inquisitively.

Lydia smiled, figuring this was one of Stiles' cousins he had warned her about. "Friend." she corrected.

Unfortunately, it sounded like she was finished his sentence rather than rectifying his mistake. Stiles' cousin didn't make any notion that he understood things differently now, so Lydia figured her attempt had fallen flat.

"I'm Austin. Stiles' cousin." he greeted, holding out a hand which Lydia politely shook.

"Lydia."

"You're awfully gorgeous to be with a guy like Stiles."

"Clearly you need to take a better look at your cousin." she replied automatically.

She didn't just mean in the looks department—Stiles had way more to offer than his handsome features. He was bright, funny, loving, determined, and unfailingly loyal.

Austin seemed amused by her answer, thrilled that she was participating in his banter no doubt. "So where did he take you on your first date?"

Lydia contemplated it and then smiled. "Our school's winter formal last year. The evening didn't go perfect, but I've learned to love the unpredictability of being with someone like Stiles, even if the end of the night was a disaster."

Austin laughed gleefully. "How was it a disaster?"

"It wasn't Stiles' fault. It was after we separated. Maybe that was the problem." she taunted, rolling her eyes at the teenager. Deciding that changing the subject was a much better option than explaining what really happened, Lydia corrected her throat. "How about you? Did you bring anyone tonight?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Weddings are usually filled with girls seeking romance. Thought I'd give it a chance."

Lydia laughed, but it was another voice that replied.

"And how's that working out for you?" Stiles asked, and Lydia saw one of the relatives he pointed out earlier walking away. If they were the one Stiles had been just talking to, he easily could have overheard everything she had said about him.

He shot her a smile as he settled next to her and she pushed the plate of food towards him.

"Hey man." he said, bumping fists with his cousin before diving into the proffered food.

"I was just getting to know your lovely lady." Austin explained, raising his eyebrows at Stiles as if to challenge him on it.

"I see that. I thankfully warned her about you before we got here."

"Me? You should've warned her about this one." he replied, laughing as a girl, maybe a year younger than them, crashed into him and wrapped one of her arms affectionately around his neck.

The brunette grinned. "I'd love to argue against that fact, but I did just steal a bottle of champagne for us, so the point seems rather moot."

She pulled the half-empty bottle out from behind her back, glancing around to make sure no one was watching, and pulled the free glasses from the middle of the table towards her.

"Anyone up for some bubbly?"

Stiles was shaking his head in amusement. "Madison, you haven't changed a bit. Lydia, this is my cousin. Maddie, Lydia."

The girl in question smiled brightly at the strawberry-blonde. "It's nice to meet you. You know… you seem like the kind of girl who knows how to party. Before these boys sell me out, got any crazy stories of your own to share?"

"Oh you don't want to challenge Lydia on that… there was that time at your birthday where you—"

Stiles stopped, realizing he couldn't spill that she poisoned them all with wolfsbane… and it wasn't even in her control. It really shouldn't have been funny at all, and it definitely hadn't been at the time, but for some reason he saw the memory different here away from all the chaos of Beacon Hills. He hoped Lydia wouldn't be offended—that was a dark time for her and he felt suddenly awful for trying to make a joke about it.

But Lydia seemed to be on the same wavelength as him since she was grinning, trying to hide her face in embarrassment. "You know I didn't mean to!"

"Oh, now you have to spill." Madison said enthusiastically, settling down in one of the chairs and handing out the drinks she poured.

"Not for me, I'm driving."

"Oh for god sakes, Stiles, it's one glass. You'll be sober before you walk to the buffet table."

"My dad is the Sheriff, Maddie. You really think I don't know how blood alcohol content works?"

"SO what happened at Lydia's birthday party?" Austin asked loudly, cutting off the bickering teens.

"I uh…accidentally drugged the punch and everyone got high. Accidentally!" Lydia added again when the two cousins cracked up hysterically.

"Oh my god. That is amazing." Maddie exclaimed proudly.

Lydia hadn't even realized her hand was intertwined with Stiles' again. Maybe that's why she was so at peace with such a memory.

"Another disastrous night to add to our résumé." Stiles chuckled, locking eyes with her as he smiled, and Lydia swore if the other two weren't there she would've leaned over and kissed him.

Wait, was he referencing what she said earlier about winter formal? Had he been listening then?

As if sensing the sudden change in gaze between the pair, Madison corrected her throat awkwardly.

"So what other adventures do you two get up to in good ole Beacon Hills?"

Unable to help themselves, Lydia and Stiles laughed. Oh if only they knew.

"There was that time I pulled the fire alarm…"

"When the deer ran into my car…"

"When we caught Allison and Scott making out in the photo booth—"

Stiles cut himself off instantly, feeling the same shot to his heart that he could tell Lydia had felt too. He squeezed her hand, apology in his eyes for the mention of their late friend.

"What… what just happened?" Austin asked seriously, looking between the two of them, and knowing that their jovial mood had just been swiped away.

"Allison… she was… one of our best friends. Lydia's best friend and Scott's long-term girlfriend. One night, some guys tried to steal her car when we were all together and when she tried to fight back, they stabbed her. She protected us all, she always had. I used to call her warrior princess to bug her. Anyways, we only buried her a couple months ago. It's still pretty fresh." he explained gruffly, and Lydia had to look away. It was so much more than that but they had to stick to the cover story.

Madison and Austin were silent, absorbing and unsure how to respond.

Stiles looked at Lydia, his eyes pained, and he stood up.

"Want to dance?"

She nodded and wiped her eye as inconspicuously as she could before following him out to the dance floor with the other couples.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't even thinking…"

Lydia shook her head as she looped her arms around his neck. "Don't be ridiculous. We can't spend the rest of our lives afraid to mention her name, afraid to relive happy memories we had with her. Those are all we have left of her and I don't want to forget a minute of it." she whispered, trying her damn hardest to keep her tears at bay. "We loved her and she loved us and there is no way she would want us to cringe every time we thought of her."

Stiles nodded in agreement and pulled her closer so he was more like hugging her as they swayed. "You're right." he said softly.

"Of course I am." she quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

Her plan worked since he chuckled. "Can I apologize for my cousins and their nosiness then?"

She shook her head, smirking. "No way. I like them. They're entertaining and unpredictable, so I guess that runs in the family, huh?"

He shrugged but was smiling as he held her.

"I'm really happy you're here." he murmured into her hair.

"Me too." she replied softly, not just referring to her physical presence at the wedding. She was very much enjoying being in his arms.

"We should go rob the dessert buffet. And you should drink the champagne my cousin stole so I can live vicariously through you."

"You should have some too. Your cousin's math may not have been entirely correct, but she was right about you being perfectly capable of driving afterwards. I don't think your alcohol tolerance is that low, is it?"

"It's not about that. I'd never…"

"Drink and drive while your father was around to catch you?"

He shook his head. "Do anything to put your safety at risk. It's not just me I'm driving home."

His eyes on hers were so serious, so tender and full of love that Lydia felt her breath leave her chest. Her hands relaxed against his neck and her gaze fell to his mouth, darting up to his eyes to question if she could do what her heart was begging her to. The desire to kiss him was overwhelming.

"Stiles!" a familiar voice came, and Lydia pulled back, startled.

It was his dad.

"Hey dad." Stiles said, forcing a smile and wrapping one arm around Lydia's middle so he could face him but still keep her in his hold.

Lydia couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"Lydia, it's good to see you too. You look lovely."

"Thank you, Sheriff. You look rather dashing yourself." she replied with a charming smile.

He smiled gratefully at her, and he and Stiles began discussing relatives and Lydia tuned out of the conversation. Without meaning to, her fingers traced designs under his suit jacket where her hand was resting on his waist.

"Start with Laura! She asked about you fir-… and he's gone." Stiles sighed.

"Your aunt?"

He nodded. "Brittany's mom. My mom's sister. She's got the maternal instinct on lock and she even mothers my dad."

Lydia laughed at that.

"Come on… I am seriously craving sweets." he told her, tugging her towards the buffet and she followed without complaint.

The strawberry-blonde couldn't help but stay nestled close to him as they walked the long table. Stiles was loading a plate with various things—the dessert buffet was certainly extensive. It had everything from cheesecake and éclairs to brownies and chocolate covered strawberries.

Stiles popped one of the truffles in his mouth. "Sweet Jesus."

Lydia followed his example, biting into the tender chocolate and unable to help moaning in delight. "Seriously… let's take all of them."

He laughed but stopped when he noticed something. "Hold still."

Like every cliché, he reached out to brush away a small chocolate stain on her lip. As he passed over the spot a second time, she kissed his thumb delicately.

He swallowed and his hand moved to cup her face. "Lydia…"

Her eyes gazed back at him, wide and vulnerable, and he ducked his head to meet their lips.

She suddenly turned her face so he only got her cheek.

He pulled back, mouth opening to apologize, when she shook her head.

"It's not that, I promise. I just… don't want it to be here, out in the open. I want it to be just you and me… where I don't have to feel self-conscious and like I have to keep it PG."

Stiles laughed out loud at that, coiling an arm around her and kissing her temple affectionately. "Whatever you want. Care to take a walk down to the lake with me then?"

Lydia smiled broadly and let him lead her away, making sure their plate of treats came with them. She wasn't kidding about those truffles.

Down the hill, behind the shade of trees, along a dirt path that lead to a lit gazebo, Lydia couldn't have imagined a more magical place for their first real kiss. The vintage structure was lined with twinkling lights and there was a fountain in the middle of the pond. With the dark sky above and the soft lights, it was more romantic than Lydia could have ever imagined.

They sat on the bench inside the gazebo, their plate sitting on the one next to theirs, and Stiles was watching their interlaced fingers.

Smiling slightly at his nervous expression, Lydia tilted up his chin and pulled him into a soft kiss. Her eyes fluttered shut, and then it was just them. The peaceful quiet except for the gentle trickle from the fountain and crickets on the grass surrounded them and left them in their own world.

Stiles kissed her back enthusiastically, his big hands cupping her face and pulling her lips more firmly onto his. He kissed her fully, deeply, and with enough passion to make her melt into him.

Lydia's hand gripped the flap of his jacket, pulling him tight to her, and she lost count of how many kisses they exchanged. She was kissing him hard, needy, all her feelings from the last few months bubbling over and taking control of the situation.

When the lack of oxygen became too much, they broke apart and she leaned her forehead against his.

"I'm sorry… I've been wanting to kiss you so badly all day. I guess I got a little carried away."

His lips were swollen and he was breathing hard, his face flushed.

"Yeah, this is torture, you should probably stop." he said sarcastically, causing her to giggle and lean up to kiss him again.

She sort of loved that she could do that now whenever she felt like it.

Stiles exhaled heavily. "This feels surreal. This whole day, being here with you now… it feels like a dream."

Lydia knew how much trouble he had had deciphering reality from his dreams for a long time after the sacrifice he had performed to save his father. It hurt to think that maybe he had dreamed of something similar to this, being with her in some way, only to find it was all in his head.

"I promise this is real. I love you. And I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out." she told him.

His eyes rose to meet hers in surprise, a disbelieving smile crossing his face. "I… I love you too."

"I know. Two hours on a valentine, huh?" she teased, referencing the conversation he had with his newlywed cousin earlier.

He grinned. "I've grown to love the unpredictability of being with someone like Stiles. You do realize we made it seem very much like we were dating?"

Lydia shrugged. "Maybe that's what I wanted them to think. I'm proud to be with someone like you and I like to make it known."

"Definitely not helping make this seem less like a dream." Stiles said amusedly, squeezing her hand gratefully.

"Maybe this will help." she murmured, grinning before leaning over to kiss him again.

Stiles returned her enthusiasm immediately, opening her mouth with his and heating up their kissing rather fast. Lydia found herself desperate to get closer to him, her hands unbuttoning his jacket and running her hands down his dress shirt. She tried to lift one of her legs to straddle him, but the material was too tight, and she groaned irritably against his lips.

"Another night." Stiles promised, kissing down her neck now.

Lydia sighed. "But you in this suit, Stiles… I nearly pounced on you when you got out of the car."

He pulled back, looking mildly dumbfounded but extremely smug.

"Really?!"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes. When we're less likely to get walked in on, I'll prove it to you."

He didn't look like he was ever going to stop grinning, so Lydia figured kissing was out for the time being. The drive home later… well… that was a different story.

"Come on, lover boy. Let's get back to everyone. I need to squeeze out some more embarrassing stories of you from when you were younger from your cousins."

He quickly stumbled after her as she tugged him along. "Aw, come on, Lydia… my entire existence when I was younger was an embarrassment. Let's not add insult to injury…"

Lydia simply threw her head back and laughed, her hand in Stiles', and she didn't remember the last time she had felt so light. Those butterflies from earlier looked as though they were here to stay.


End file.
